8 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOUR GYM SUCKS

By GI Team Generation Iron

“I lift things up and put them down.”

With so many Gyms out there it’s hard to choose the right one. And unfortunately for you there’s no simple solution, each gym like each person has it’s own unique personality and at the end of the day you might only be able to work with what’s in your area. However, gyms like most people, have certain characteristics that bind it together. Things like getting jacked, staying shredded, and gaining greater levels of fitness, all in a controlled environment. When a gym meets this requirement we give grades such as good or excellent. When they don’t meet these requirements we give them grades like unsatisfactory, poor, or needs improvement.

So how do you know if your gym just plain sucks? We have 10 ways to find out:

It has more lounge furniture than your living room.

I’m looking at you Barton Gym. If you have to side step a lay-z-boy in between your set at the lat machine and your dead lift then chances are this isn’t the gym for serious lifters. Mood lighting is nice and all and It’s easy to appreciate expensive lamp shades but it would be nice to actually… workout at the gym.

You’re too pampered
I remember telling a friend once that I loved the gym at my old work place because it was dirty, smelly – it had old posters of Arnold and Mr. Olympias of yester-year littered throughout; best of all it was free. Do you want to know what he told me? He said “Yeah but my gym has heated towels…” Really? It’s a gym! you lose fluids, there’s protein farts, you lift till your muscles start to twitch, you get fatigued, there’s nothing high class about it. But hey, if you’d perfer to lay in a hammock and eat soft cheese like a french duke then just join an Equinox. But to me, this makes your gym suck!

They sell/have candy

A bit counter productive don’t you think? If your gym sells things that are clearly bad for you then they probably care more about making money than your general health. Sure, we are all going to have cheat meals at some point – but the last place you want them offered is in your sanctuary of iron and muscle. The last thing on anyone’s mind at the gym should be snacks.

Bad equipment

Bad equipment is not just annoying it’s also dangerous. If you go to a gym with outdated equipment or machines that are constantly out of order you might want to consider bringing your business elsewhere. What are you paying your hard earned money for? Now that’s not to say there isn’t some classic equipment out there that still holds up. But if everything is old and busted… well you’re only hurting yourself. If you don’t care about your gym, then obviously you don’t care about your customers. If you don’t care about your customers then your gym sucks!

Lack of equipment

Speaking of equipment, it’s surprising how many gyms are about the same size as a college dorm room. Sure, give me a barbell with some plates and a pull up bar and I’m set but this isn’t your basement – you’re paying for a real gym. You might want to go someplace with more equipment than a Motel 6. You’d be surprise at the amount of gyms that don’t have the basics and with machines being so popular it’s hard pressed to find free weights over 60 lbs. If your gym has less equipment than you’re neighbors garage, then your gym sucks.

Your paying too much

While you don’t want to go to the proverbial “hole in the wall”, you don’t want to pay too much either. With gyms popping up all over the place, competition is starting to lower prices. Some gyms are doing away with contracts and at the same time reducing their monthly rates. If you’re paying more for your gym membership than your spending on your rent then your gym sucks…and you’ll probably get evicted.

The staff is rude or incompetent

If the staff sucks. Then the gym sucks. Most people come to the gym as a haven. To take time for themselves, dare I say a form of self expression. So it’s the worst if the entire staff are a bunch of a-holes. Now don’t get us wrong, there’s a world of difference between intense passionate lifters/staff and a douchebag. So don’t go around pointing fingers if you can’t take the heat. But don’t get taken advantage of either – ultimately you should find a gym that best fits your personality and lifting goals.

You Go To Planet Fitness

Hold on, before you do anything else: look up at the sign of your gym. Is it a Planet Fitness? Your gym sucks.